Megan Barry to take over as chair of Budget and Finance Committee

Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors on Wednesday announced the appointment of new Metro Council committee chairs, headlined by At-large Councilwoman Megan Barry, who will chair the high-ranking Budget and Finance Committee.

At-large Councilman Ronnie Steine had chaired the Budget and Finance Committee for the past year.

One of the first major issues likely to go before the Budget and Finance Committee, now chaired by Barry, is a proposed public-private financing package for a new convention center hotel. Metro Finance Director Richard Riebeling has previously said an ordinance involving a hotel to accompany Music City Center could be delivered to the council by Labor Day.

Council chairs are subject to change each year, with the exception of the Planning and Zoning Committee and the Traffic and Parking Committee, which are elected by the council to two-year terms.

Other newly appointed council chairs, set to begin their posts on Sept. 1, are:

Randy Foster, Charter Revision Committee

Vivian Wilhoite, Codes, Fair and Farmers Market Committee

Rip Ryman, Convention and Tourism Committee

Erica Gilmore, Education Committee

Frank Harrison, Federal Grants Review Committee

Jim Forkum, Health, Hospitals and Social Services Committee

Jerry Maynard, Parks, Library, and Recreation and Public Entertainment Facility Committee

Parker Toler, Personnel-Public Information-Human Relations-Housing Committee

Edith Langer, Public Safety-Beer and Regulated Beverages Committee

Jim Hodge, Public Works Committee

Greg Adkins, Rules-Confirmations-Public Elections Committee

Anna Page, Transportation and Aviation Committee

The next meeting Sept. 1.